Even though the Labour government pays lip service to the Social Chapter guaranteeing minimum wages, Doanld Dewar said Labour will give no help to local councils who have to pay the extra cash to their employees.

He intends to stick by the policy of the former Conservative Secretary of State, Michael Forsyth, who announced a 1997-98 funding settlement for councils which provided no extra cash for increases in the overall pay bill of councils.

Here we see new Labour as New Tory....